# Having fun with the microwave..



## Breakaway500 (May 7, 2010)

I have a 5 pack of Cinco Vegas "A"s..I got a while back and I smoked two over the last week and did not really care for them. They did not burn well..and 1/3 of the way through..ammonia. I sparked up the 3rd just before lunch today. Hmm..nope...let it go out after about 15 minutes. 
As I went in for lunch,my demented mind came up with the idea to nuke it.I figured what the Hell,can't hurt it..I won't finish it anyway.... 

I wrapped it in about 4 heavy paper towels,ends open, and put it in the 1000 watt microwave for 50 seconds. About 30 seconds into the "treatment",I could smell ammonia! When I opened the microwave,there was steamy ammonia vapor and...smoke..! Not a lot,but smoke. I unwrapped the cigar,to find it..burning on the end! It had been out for at least two hrs. before my experiment,so I know it wasn't lit.
Strange,but whatever... So... I take a puff or two and it's not bad! It actually smoked very nicely,kinda toasty..and all the bitterness was gone.It cooked evenly right down to the last 1" or so. 
These were brick wrapped in cellophane and individually wrapped as well when I got them,and have been in my 65% humidor for about a week before I opened them,so I don't believe they absorbed moisture in my possession. 
I am now wondering if they just need to be aged for a while (a year?) before I smoke them? Maybe they are just a bit green?? 
Should I try another using the "treatment" and see how they are?
Has anyone done this before?

Or..should I call my doctor for an immediate lobotomy...:yield:


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## Vicious-Peanut (Apr 10, 2010)

Hmm, very interesting. I doubt your ''treatment' will catch on here lol, but you did have results.


There have been threads here with members mentioning you should never smoke a cigar (from an online retailer) unless its been in your humidor for at least two weeks. I'm not so sure about the term never, but it is certainly a better idea then smoking them fresh. I'm sure the ammonia will go away eventually, but it can take quite a while.


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## FiveStar (Jan 7, 2010)

Hmmmm... Smoking any cigar a week after shipment is probably not the best idea. Ammonia??? Very likely, but it will go away with age. Don't nuke any more of them, but simply leave them alone for another month or two AT LEAST! Six months would be better....


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## gaberox (Feb 28, 2009)

Ive had one Vegas A in the toro size. I let it rest about 2 months and was very pleasantly surprised. I wasnt expecting much and it really delivered some nice maduro flavors. A little amonia still? Yeah just a touch but I dont have enough stock to let my cigars rest for 8-12 months. Usually 1-3 months for me. I never noticed the amonia before I started reading a lot about aging cigars and now I can pick it up. With a few months though its not really bad for most cigars. Just give those A's some time and they will be decent.


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## Breakaway500 (May 7, 2010)

I really don't have much of a stash,so I need to buy cigars ready to smoke. I have been buying an assortment of smokes and putting them away..but I really would like to have some to enjoy now.Some smoke fine right away,and some seem to need a rest before they are ready to consume. Maybe I'll try the "treatment" on some of the lesser ones that don't smoke well...if it works out like today,what the Hell? Who knows..maybe this is the answer to some brands...Ha! 
Let's see,where is my doctors phone number....


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## Vicious-Peanut (Apr 10, 2010)

If you want some that are 'ready' to smoke Padrons seem to do pretty well. Or you can just head to a B&M and you should do better with theirs.


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## Breakaway500 (May 7, 2010)

I did pick up some Padrons,but even those seem to want age. I'm not really close to a B&M,so it's not really an option right now.
I will be stopping in to a few as I travel this summer..but for now, I may have to blast a few with the microwave.(!!) (NOT the Padrons..)
I was just informed that I can't use the Micro in the house again as it stunk up the house. I do have another in the camper...not as strong though..may have to adjust cooking times..


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## eyesack (Jul 19, 2009)

Dude, this is so win bro. + over9000 to you!


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## BigKev77 (Feb 16, 2008)

I don't have a problem with this. I am a pipe smoker as well and have heard of guys putting tobacco into the micro or oven to "stove." It can add a nice new profile to the baccy in some cases. If you have a gar that you know you would trash otherwise, go for it.


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## pomorider (Nov 14, 2009)

You should try it again with a new cigar.


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## Dread (Oct 16, 2009)

A's are hit and miss for me, sometimes they taste great other times they taste absolutly terrible. Some Ive smoked them to the nub and some Ive put down after 5-10 minutes. Way too inconsistent for me.


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## Breakaway500 (May 7, 2010)

"You should try it again with a new cigar."

I do have two more from the 5 pack. I'll try it tomorrow with a full stick. In all honesty, it was not bad after the "treatment". I am sure some normal ageing, out of their wrappers in the humidor, would probably be a better way to season them..but I don't know for sure. Maybe I will keep one and try ageing it in the normal way...but for now..I'm gonna nuke 'em! I did a disection on the nub,and found the tobacco to be tenderly brittle,but not crispy crunchy, and not as fleshy as my usual inspections show. I have been disecting the nubs on most of my cigars, if possible. Amazing how some cigars are constructed.
I have some Cinco Vegas Cask strengths that weren't any better than these A's,so they may get the electric box as well.


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## Vicious-Peanut (Apr 10, 2010)

Dr. Frankenstein of cigars here. :rotfl:


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## Cigary (Oct 19, 2007)

I was laughing at this after reading it. The Vegas "A's definetly need some time to mature as I have smoked them within a month and they have an acrid almost harsh taste to them ( amonia...yep ) but after some time they smoke much better. It's too bad you don't have a B&M closer as the relationship associated with a good one where you purchase cigars the managers can give you information on product that was just put out or has been there for awhile so you know you can take it home and smoke it without the worry of "being too green" or new. I use to talk with all the owners about when I bought off the rack and they'd steer me to the ones they knew had been there for awhile and had been in perfect condition for smoking. Nothing like having a good relationship with your tobacconist.


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## 92hatchattack (May 30, 2009)

While we are talking about the A, does anyone know if there is a difference in blend between the regular A's, and the tripple A? Cant help but notice that CI has them listed seperatly.


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## e-man (Jan 5, 2009)

Sounds typical of most 5 Vegas I've ever had. They like to ship them young. You gotta sit on those sticks for quite a while before they're ready to smoke. Even then, I find them mediocre at best, and not worth the effort.


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## tpharkman (Feb 20, 2010)

There is a definite difference between the A and the AAA. The triple is really good and the single IMHO was just another cigar.


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## fiddlegrin (Feb 8, 2009)

tpharkman said:


> There is a definite difference between the A and the AAA. The triple is really good and the single IMHO was just another cigar.


Makes sense to me. :nod:

After all, AAA is the last stop before "The Majors" :eyebrows:

P.S. I.M.H.O. Removing the cello will speed up the "off gassing" of the ammonia and help the cigar to "rest" faster :car:

:rockon:


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## KetherInMalkuth (Dec 17, 2009)

92hatchattack said:


> While we are talking about the A, does anyone know if there is a difference in blend between the regular A's, and the tripple A? Cant help but notice that CI has them listed seperatly.


The Triple-A is a totally different cigar blended by AJ Fernandez (Diesel Unholy Cocktail, MOW Ruination, ITC 10th Anniversary, Rocky Patel Signature, etc). For whatever reason, they chose to put the same band on it, and just added a second foot band that says "AAA". Personally I think they should have given it a different name entirely and let it stand on it's own away from the "A" Series.


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## 92hatchattack (May 30, 2009)

Ok. So I guess I will have to pick up one of these triple a's and give it a try. 


Thanks guys.


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## RealtorFrank (Jan 7, 2010)

Did it taste at all like bacon?


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## Breakaway500 (May 7, 2010)

Today I decided to try the experiment on a Drew Estate Double Espresso. Before the nuke,these did nothing to want me to try another. 
So,I got my camper microwave and moved it into the shop.(I'm banned from the house microwave) I wrapped the cigar in paper towels and set the timer for 50 seconds. Turns out,this is too much,as this microwave rotated the cigar,but the center received most of the heat to the point of smoke! Well..damn..ruined. Hmm..Maybe not. I took it out and let it..cool. It had not burned through the outer wrapper,so maybe it was smokable. What the hell.. I lit the end,it drew well..and what an unusual taste!! I can only describe it as 90% cocoa..!! There is no charcoal taste,no burnt taste..just a very strong taste of rich,dark cocoa..with a touch of sweetness. As I smoked through the center,the taste became more ..toasty,but still chocolaty... The room filled with the smell of a cake baking. Matter of fact,a few people came in after lunch,and asked where the chocolate cake was. 
The microwave totally transormed this so-so (for me) stick into something I was actually enjoying! The aftertaste is as if I had eaten a bittersweet chocolate bar for desert.
A note of caution..this cigar would not self extinguish.mg:

It ended up the same as it started,with strong toasted cocoa..and an added a touch of nuttiness.

Kind of like me...


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## KetherInMalkuth (Dec 17, 2009)

Breakaway500 said:


> Today I decided to try the experiment on a Drew Estate Double Espresso. Before the nuke,these did nothing to want me to try another.
> So,I got my camper microwave and moved it into the shop.(I'm banned from the house microwave) I wrapped the cigar in paper towels and set the timer for 50 seconds. Turns out,this is too much,as this microwave rotated the cigar,but the center received most of the heat to the point of smoke! Well..damn..ruined. Hmm..Maybe not. I took it out and let it..cool. It had not burned through the outer wrapper,so maybe it was smokable. What the hell.. I lit the end,it drew well..and what an unusual taste!! I can only describe it as 90% cocoa..!! There is no charcoal taste,no burnt taste..just a very strong taste of rich,dark cocoa..with a touch of sweetness. As I smoked through the center,the taste became more ..toasty,but still chocolaty... The room filled with the smell of a cake baking. Matter of fact,a few people came in after lunch,and asked where the chocolate cake was.
> The microwave totally transormed this so-so (for me) stick into something I was actually enjoying! The aftertaste is as if I had eaten a bittersweet chocolate bar for desert.
> A note of caution..this cigar would not self extinguish.mg:
> ...


All of this seems a bit left field for me, but I'll still throw in my :2 , Did you happen to think of putting it on a lower power level and putting the cigar closer to the edge of the rotating tray so it won't get a concentrated blast the whole time? Perhaps you could achieve your intended results without burning it that way. I've got some cigars that are particularly sick right now, I'm almost curious enough at this point to actually try this and see if it would work... Hrmm...


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## Breakaway500 (May 7, 2010)

Hi Brad. Yes,I did realize after the fact that I must place the cigar at the edge of the rotating tray to evenly treat the stick.

I shall try another tomorrow.

What have you got to lose? This is how I see my little experiment,and so far,it has been all gain.

No,I would NOT consider this for any cigar of value,that should be aged properly.However,I consider these experimental sticks my smoke todays,and they have not been. The "treatment" really has made them smokeable!!

Don't knock it till you've tried it,right?

Word of advice...the odor out of the microwave is not pleasant...


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## Swenny69 (May 31, 2010)

The microwave. . . might have to try it. Maybe.


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## KetherInMalkuth (Dec 17, 2009)

Does it leave the microwave smelling or just the vicinity for a bit?


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## Breakaway500 (May 7, 2010)

Did not leave a residual odor in the microwave..however,I have only "treated" two smokes..to date..


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## bouncintiga (Feb 3, 2010)

this is the nuttiest thing I have read about in a long time. hmm i might try these with some calle ochos i have.


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## Jenady (Nov 23, 2009)

I bet cigars are being nuked everywhere tonight. Hmmm...


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## johndsmith (Mar 4, 2010)

dude i think you should get a new microwave too. i wouldn't put any more food in it.


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## bouncintiga (Feb 3, 2010)

RealtorFrank said:


> Did it taste at all like bacon?


Should I Eat Bacon?


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## Breakaway500 (May 7, 2010)

Bacon flavored cigars? Hmm..don't know about that one.. hell,why not? A breakfast cigar!


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## Nickerson (Mar 19, 2009)

I remember hearing of people trying to use microwaves for a few seconds to kill any beetles or eggs. But using a microwave to instant age them? Thats a new one.


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## KetherInMalkuth (Dec 17, 2009)

I don't know about "instant aging" but it is theoretically possible that it does indeed vaporize the ammonia, though it would also serve to reason that it would vaporize a fair quantity of water... what I dont' know is if that would actually make the wrapper more wet as it if were 'steamed' or it if would dry the overall cigar, more like dryboxing... I've still yet to try this, as we've only got the one microwave and I dont' know how much my wife will appreciate our kitchen smelling like ammonia.


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## Breakaway500 (May 7, 2010)

The ammonia smell does dissipate quite rapidly. ainkiller:

I tried the microwave treatment on a cigar that I have enjoyed right out of the wrapper,a Cinco Vegas Gold (box pressed) and it did not change the flavors at all..so I don't believe this is actually harming the good flavors of the sticks.

As a note..there was NO ammonia smell after microwaving the Gold. I have never picked up any ammonia taste with this particular smoke. I only tried the "treatment" to see if it altered it in any way negatively,and there was none.


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## KetherInMalkuth (Dec 17, 2009)

Ok, so curiosity got the better of me and I tried this... I wrapped up a Diesel that's part of a box which is particularly sick right now. I nuked it for about a minute and DAMN, the smell of ammonia that emanted from the microwave was downright noxious, so I unrolled the stick from the paper towels and brought it to my nose. Bad Idea. It burned my nostrils like I was huffing directly from an ammonia bottle, also the stick felt a little brittle, like it had lost a lot of moisture, one of the things I was specifically concerned with. So I wrapped it again, this time with a dry paper towel on the inside and a damp on the outside and put it in for another 45 seconds. It came out and the microwave didn't smell of ammonia, but the stick still did, though there was also hints of cocao beneath the ammonia smell. At this point the stick was very hot and felt rather dry, so I didn't want to continue any more. I put it back into the humi and I'm going to let it rehydrate for a week or two and try this again. If the cigar loses all of the ammonia smell after that and still smokes well with decent flavor, I believe I'll be pretty interested in this procedure going forward for non-premium sticks that I want to smoke without letting them sit for a year. Call me crazy.


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## Breakaway500 (May 7, 2010)

My God,I've created a monster.... :beerchug:


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## dinoa2 (Feb 7, 2008)

I wonder what Rocky Patel or Don Pepin would think of this thread and the treatment of their carefully planned out tobaccos


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## Breakaway500 (May 7, 2010)

I'm sure they wouldn't lose any sleep over it... :wink:

Maybe they might start "ageing" them right from the factory...after all,who wants to wait months,years even, to enjoy something they bought today? Yes,I understand some things have to age slooooowly to develop that just right taste. However,we are not talking about high end stuff here...these won't ever be diamonds.

They force dry paint.
They kiln dry wood.

I have not found any adverse effects on the cigars since nuking started..only positive results. The more people that experiment,the better, as far as I am concerned.

Think of microwaving cigars as.. tuning them..!! FYI:

"Microwaves are reflected by metal surfaces, much as a ball would bounce off a wall. The metal walls of the cooking space actually form a cavity resonator. In other words, the enclosure is designed to resonate the microwaves as they are radiated from the magnetron tube. The principle of resonance may be illustrated using sound waves. When a piano key is struck, it produces sound vibrations or sound waves. Sometimes a note is played on a piano, and an object across the room, perhaps a wineglass, can be heard vibrating and producing the same sound. This is the result of resonance. The resonating characteristics of the wineglass are the same as those of the piano string. Therefore, the wineglass is in tune, or in resonance, with the sound wave produced by the piano string. In the same way, the cooking cavity of a microwave oven is designed to be in "tune" with the resonant characteristics of the microwaves."


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## dinoa2 (Feb 7, 2008)

not meant as criticism, just a comment and waiting to see if anybody says this improves the cigar any.


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## Breakaway500 (May 7, 2010)

The few I have "treated" have all improved.They go from nasty-ass tasting, to OK...not bad! I even tried it on a cigar I like right out of the wrapper with no ill effects,(Cinco Vegas Gold) so it doesn't seem to impart any ill effects on them. 

I doubt I would recomend this on any classic cigar that requires careful ageing to bring out its best characteristicts,and most of those are well known.
I would reserve this treatment for smokes that need help NOW.

I'm glad it crossed my mind to try it.

This does not mean others have to be so..brazen..

If you come across an ill tasting stick that you would toss rather than smoke,try nuking it. What have you got to lose?

Be aware that too much will incinerate it,though. Under 1 minute is sufficient. I have found about 30-40 seconds for >40 ring sizes,5" or longer. 

Too little is better than too much when treating. I'm already starting a recipe log..Ha!


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## Rubix^3 (Nov 10, 2008)

Just when I thought I'd exhausted all of the ocd capacity out of this hobby, here comes this guy microwaving cigars to accelerate the affects of aging.
My gut hurts from the chuckles, thank you Mark.


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## KetherInMalkuth (Dec 17, 2009)

As I was saying earlier, I wouldn't call it aging, as that is a natural process that can't be sped up. It's merely an attempt at getting rid of that damn ammonia that's cursing a number of my cheaper NCs right now.


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## Breakaway500 (May 7, 2010)

I like to think of the treatment as....electric shock therapy :shock:

I'm off to the racetrack for a few days. See y'all later!


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## fiddlegrin (Feb 8, 2009)

Cool!

I'm gladdened to hear that your sticks have improved from the "Anti Ammonia Therapy", or A.A.T.

I suspect that Brad is on to something good by after having administered the A.A.T. returning them to his humi for resting.

It would seem that the microwaving agitates the moisture/ammonia molecules, 
thusly enabling the ammonia to "Exit Stage Right" rapido! :whip:

My instinct tells me that erring on the side of "under-doing" them would be far better than over zapping/ overheating them...

*Mmmmm__ Chocolate!*

Thanks for sharing this!!! :wave:

:rockon:


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## fiddlegrin (Feb 8, 2009)

Note to self....

After "treating" the gar in the micowave......... do *NOT* smell it right away! :faint:

.


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## Matt1951 (Apr 25, 2010)

I had some Perdomo slow age that were very wet. Based on this thread, I decided to Nuke em 10 seconds each - forty seconds for four cigars - tons of ammonia came out, they now are in my humidor which has returned to 65% (was hanging at 74%), a total of about thirty cigars. Smoked one after sitting overnight in the humidor, big improvement. A quality cigar that has been aged - I would not do this. A low cost wet cigar - seems to help quite a bit. By the way, I love Perdomo, lot 23 is a GREAT cigar. But Slow Age could be renamed NO AGE.


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## bouncintiga (Feb 3, 2010)

I keep my eye on this thread to see how people's results have been and it's awesome! i wonder if a cigar magazine will find out about this and do an article on it, you could be famous breakaway!


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## e-man (Jan 5, 2009)

If you heat and only smell ammonia, then that could be a good thing. If you heat and smell nuances of the tobacco in the air, then you have definitely evaporated oils from the cigar, thus reducing the nuances you taste when the cigar is smoked.

Ammonia has a lower boiling point than water, so you shouldn't need to heat it to the point of steaming to get results. This may have some real potential with significantly reduced time in the microwave. Otherwise, it sounds like a recipe for an Extra-Mild cigar, and possibly a dog rocket. 

Is there anyone with a young 5-pack who wants to try a controlled experiment and write a review?


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## KetherInMalkuth (Dec 17, 2009)

e-man said:


> If you heat and only smell ammonia, then that could be a good thing. If you heat and smell nuances of the tobacco in the air, then you have definitely evaporated oils from the cigar, thus reducing the nuances you taste when the cigar is smoked.
> 
> Ammonia has a lower boiling point than water, so you shouldn't need to heat it to the point of steaming to get results. This may have some real potential with significantly reduced time in the microwave. Otherwise, it sounds like a recipe for an Extra-Mild cigar, and possibly a dog rocket.
> 
> Is there anyone with a young 5-pack who wants to try a controlled experiment and write a review?


I've got a whole box of Diesels that are way too sick to smoke, I'm up for any experiment you think would work. The next thing I had in mind was to use a greatly reduced power level, so as to be able to heat it longer at lower temperature. I nuked mine for nearly two mintues total and it was still ripe with ammonia, though way to dry for my tastes, that's why perhaps I think lower power level may work better.


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## e-man (Jan 5, 2009)

KetherInMalkuth said:


> I've got a whole box of Diesels that are way too sick to smoke, I'm up for any experiment you think would work. The next thing I had in mind was to use a greatly reduced power level, so as to be able to heat it longer at lower temperature. I nuked mine for nearly two mintues total and it was still ripe with ammonia, though way to dry for my tastes, that's why perhaps I think lower power level may work better.


I think it is important to know how nuking the sticks affects rH, and how it affects the stick after a month of resting (2 weeks?).

Basically I'm thinking something like this:

For each stick, use a different length of time or power rating for the microwave. Leave one stick untouched as the control. Mark each stick to tell them apart. Use the same process for each stick, changing only the time/power of the microwave. Use the same paper towel technique for all sticks.

For each stick:

1) Check rH before and after, using a baggie and hygrometer.

2) Write a review for each stick after resting to see what discernible difference the process makes.

I think it's fair to say that most of us wouldn't keep our sticks lower than 60%, so it would be good to see how much time they can take before crossing that line. So keeping that in mind, is it possible to remove excess ammonia while keeping the stick in a respectable rH range.


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## Esoteric (Jun 15, 2009)

This seems like it could definitely be a good way to effectively "dry box" a cigar in 30 seconds instead of a couple days LOL!!


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## Breakaway500 (May 7, 2010)

Hi guys..I'm back! I forgot to take my microwave out of the shop and return it to the camper,so no popcorn for me at the track! 

My observations about microwaving:

Longer with less power is not the answer.It seems to only dry out the stick,and not fully remove the ammonia. You want to rapidly evaporate the evil ammonia causing agents,without disturbing the good tasting oils and such. Kind of like cooking a good steak very rare..just kind of charr it fast,while keeping the meat raw and flavorfull. it's probably more comparable to distilling alcohol..get it to the right temp and boil off what you need to,except you are keeping the good stuff stiull in the stick. I have experimented with various levels,and have pretty much dismissed long run times and lower power levels. Yes,it is risky running the high power,but that is all part of the art. Blasting with high power,with carefull observation,and smelling is the key. This is a new art and one which needs to be developed to be perfected. Glad to see others are making positive progress in the laboratory. I shall be "cooking" something later...


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## e-man (Jan 5, 2009)

FYI-

When you choose 20% power on a 1,000 watt microwave, it doesn't put out 200 watts. Instead, it puts out 1,000 watts 20% of the time and is turned off 80% of the time. You can actually hear it turning on and off.


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## Breakaway500 (May 7, 2010)

Good to know,Eric.Thanks!


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## KetherInMalkuth (Dec 17, 2009)

Panasonic microwaves with the "power inverter" technology supposedly do reduce the actual power level, as apposed to just being on for periodic intervals throughout the cooking cycle. Kind of hard to test, but that is their claim.


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## xJaCkSlApx (May 7, 2010)

doesnt microwaving cause the moisture of watermolecules to move and evaporate? In other words dry and tasteless cigar?


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## e-man (Jan 5, 2009)

xJaCkSlApx said:


> doesnt microwaving cause the moisture of watermolecules to move and evaporate? In other words dry and tasteless cigar?


Microwaves excite water AND oil molecules, hence my statement that this may create an extra-mild (translation: flavorless) cigar.


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## xJaCkSlApx (May 7, 2010)

e-man said:


> Microwaves excite water AND oil molecules, hence my statement that this may create an extra-mild (translation: flavorless) cigar.


True


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## Breakaway500 (May 7, 2010)

My understanding of microwaves are they "wiggle" all molecules placed in their path,with the exception of most plastics,glass and ceramic. This "rubbing" together creates heat energy.Yes,water does evaporate if rubbed to boiling,but not all at once.That is why time is a factor in the process.The sticks do not instantly dry out. I tried a few different sticks today,and am getting pretty good about the time factor. I am resting a couple to try later in the week and see the results. The sticks I have "treated" are far from tasteless,unless they already smoke that way. The only way you will ever know is to try it yourselves. Oils etc do not evaporate as readily as ammonia and water,so they tend to stay behind in the leaves. I even treated a Padron Churchill today...and it gave off a LOT of ammonia...! Can't wait to see how it smokes. :biggrin1:


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## xJaCkSlApx (May 7, 2010)

Breakaway500 said:


> My understanding of microwaves are they "wiggle" all molecules placed in their path,with the exception of most plastics,glass and ceramic. This "rubbing" together creates heat energy.Yes,water does evaporate if rubbed to boiling,but not all at once.That is why time is a factor in the process.The sticks do not instantly dry out. I tried a few different sticks today,and am getting pretty good about the time factor. I am resting a couple to try later in the week and see the results.:biggrin1:


But a cigar doesn't carry 60% water. I mean correct me if im wrong doesn't a cigar carry about 10%-20% of moisture?( i dont know the exact number ) I mean in a microwave thats like a nuclear bomb that hit your cigar. I mean when you put food in your microwave and you open it up you see a mushroom cloud in your face which is all moisture thats just under 30 seconds on mine xD .


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## KetherInMalkuth (Dec 17, 2009)

A typical cigar at 70% RH should be about 13% moisture... though I've never actually dried one to zero moisture to find out... though I could at work as we have a drying oven for that specific purpose. I haven't tried one since the first, though I believe I'll wrap any future ones in damp paper towels, so as to ad extra moisture to compensate for what is being lost... theoretically anyway. I can't comment on the taste of them yet, as my Diesel is still resting after I nuked it, though I can tell you that it no longer smells like ammonia, and for a day or two after it came out of the microwave it did. I'm going to give it a couple weeks in the humi and then spark it up and see what I think.


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## xJaCkSlApx (May 7, 2010)

KetherInMalkuth said:


> A typical cigar at 70% RH should be about 13% moisture... though I've never actually dried one to zero moisture to find out... though I could at work as we have a drying oven for that specific purpose. I haven't tried one since the first, though I believe I'll wrap any future ones in damp paper towels, so as to ad extra moisture to compensate for what is being lost... theoretically anyway. I can't comment on the taste of them yet, as my Diesel is still resting after I nuked it, though I can tell you that it no longer smells like ammonia, and for a day or two after it came out of the microwave it did. I'm going to give it a couple weeks in the humi and then spark it up and see what I think.


We shall call it Lolita's Medicine


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## Breakaway500 (May 7, 2010)

Like I said before,this is NOT intended to "age" fine cigars. I decided to try this with the dog turds I have encountered and it has made some of them smokeable. It has improved all the bad ones, and I have tried it on some "control" sticks that were OK out of the wrapper,with no ill effects from nuking.
I'm NOT saying microwaving turns everything into diamonds...it just makes them better than before,and smokeable. 
Otherwise..with my sampling of various sticks in full swing....I might end up with a 6 cubic yard steel humidor...

If you come across a cigar that you just can't smoke..what is the harm of trying to alter it? That is how this all started for me...


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## pomorider (Nov 14, 2009)

Someone posted a question about measuring the actual RH of a cigar awhile back and I wonder whether we should measure the actual RH of the cigar for this experiment. It would be interesting to learn about how the microwave will change the RH and how it have altered the taste.

SOme had suggested it will make the cigar tasteless, but cooking it with the microwave may alter the taste. The ammonia will be dried out sine it has lower boiling point than oil. With the heating of the oil, it will bring out the aroma to the surface, given that the oil is still around. 

May be we can donate dog rockets to our friend and see how they turn out!


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## Matt1951 (Apr 25, 2010)

Microwaving vastly improved my Perdomo Slow Age 826s. Both natural and maduro are now excellent cigars. The maduros were so bad prior to nuking, my youngest son told me to throw them out. Now, some of the maduros had one month in the humidor, they still were wet and nasty. Maybe you could get the cigars to the same point with several months in the humidor. I can't find any loss of flavor. I have a book, The Complete Guide to Cigars, by Luck, which says cigars are good 0-3 months, then are 'dead' 3-12 months, and are then good again after 1 year. I have never had a problem with Perdomo fresh rolled.

The pages of the book are not numbered, however in the Chapter under Aging and Maturing, it states cigars should be smoked by 10-12 weeks of age, or after one year, but not in-between. In between is called the "period of sickness".


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## Tarpon140 (Aug 19, 2009)

> 10-12 weeks of age, or after one year, but not in-between.


This makes sense, but is difficult to gauge because I think the timeline starts when the cigar is rolled. So one rested mail order could smoke great while another, greener batch could turn out to be a total ammonia bomb. Forrest should have said that life is like a box of cigars............


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## Rev2010 (Sep 3, 2008)

I love how this turns into a debate on how long to rest cigars and how certain time periods are "dead zones" as listed by that book mentioned. Sorry, but to me it's utter nonsense... well the part about dead zones. Sure some sticks needs to rest longer cause the maker pushed them out too fast to get the cash flowing in. That is something we're all aware of. I've had a 5 Vegas "A" and didn't like it at all, very harsh and yep - ammonia. Glad I only got a one off in a local store. But guys, I smoke cigars that come from a shipments right away all the time, from Holts, CI, and Atlantic and I've never come across any problems. Heck, just today I got my box of LFD DL Hammers from Holts and smoked one after work.

I for one can never get on with the, "Always let new arrivals rest for 3 months in your humi" ideology, and I've never found any problem with ignoring it thankfully. I think the hobby would kinda suck all that much more having to preplan one's smoking desires several months in advance.

But hey, that's just me. 


Rev.


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## Breakaway500 (May 7, 2010)

I'm with you, Rev. I fully understand that some things in life need to be "aged" to fully develop their characteristicts,including some cigars. However, I have found many smoke fine right out of the wrappers. A few I have come across seemed to be not quite cured enough,and this is why I decided to try the microwave to help them along. It has worked well,and I can honestly say it has made many of my sticks enjoyable to the point where I would buy them again.I'll just consult my recipe book to see how long they may need to "cook". I'm not waiting months or years to enjoy an every day cigar...


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## e-man (Jan 5, 2009)

For most NC's, I think that the aging and "dead time" would have already passed before they ship. They are known to store them for months, if not years after rolling them, then who knows how long they sit around in the distribution chain. If they use tobacco that has been aged before rolling, then it would certainly be a mute point. 

I would not be surprised if this was true for CC's. I'm not expert, but I've never seen a box with a "roll date" stamped on it. So how would anyone know how many months old their sticks are anyway? :der:


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## KetherInMalkuth (Dec 17, 2009)

Rev2010 said:


> I love how this turns into a debate on how long to rest cigars and how certain time periods are "dead zones" as listed by that book mentioned. Sorry, but to me it's utter nonsense... well the part about dead zones. Sure some sticks needs to rest longer cause the maker pushed them out too fast to get the cash flowing in. That is something we're all aware of. I've had a 5 Vegas "A" and didn't like it at all, very harsh and yep - ammonia. Glad I only got a one off in a local store. But guys, I smoke cigars that come from a shipments right away all the time, from Holts, CI, and Atlantic and I've never come across any problems. Heck, just today I got my box of LFD DL Hammers from Holts and smoked one after work.
> 
> I for one can never get on with the, "Always let new arrivals rest for 3 months in your humi" ideology, and I've never found any problem with ignoring it thankfully. I think the hobby would kinda suck all that much more having to preplan one's smoking desires several months in advance.
> 
> ...


I don't base how long to rest a cigar on anyone else's ideas of what it should be, I base it on how they taste and the condition upon arrival. Personally I'd prefer every cigar to have at least a year on it, but if they taste fine fresh, or after a month, or 6 months, then that's great too. 
I'm not sure why you'd call the concept of "dead zones" utter nonsense, it's basic science. The fermentation period is restarted after rolling, because the leaves are rewetted during the process, though it takes a while for it to really get going, that's why when they are totally fresh, they are usually pretty good, but then once the fermentation really kicks in (often after two or three months) it's generally going to be sick as hell until that fermentation period ends (generally 95% complete by the end of a year). Some cigars get more sick than others, as there are many factors to consider such as how long the original tobacco was fermented/aged, the ring guage, tobacco type, how much the leaves were wetted during rolling, storage conditions after rolling, etc...


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## fiddlegrin (Feb 8, 2009)

I agree with Brad :nod:

Thanks for doing all that typing for us :high5:


IMHO the ammonia therapy technique is a usefull tool in our arsenal of knowledge.:clap2:

Thanks again Mark for sharing your original idea and thanks to all for helping to hone it:wave:


:rockon:


.


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## thrasher64 (Jun 4, 2009)

I just tried this with a El Mejor Espresso that had been resting at 70% for about 6-8 months.

35 seconds was too much for it I think, it lost most of its box pressed shape and the wrapper is almost crinkly. 

I was foolish enough to sick my nose right up to the door when I opened it and lost my sense of smell for a few minuets but before that I definitely got the fresh baked bread, molasses and cocoa smell.

Said hell with it and lit it up, so far.. not bad. It does have a nice smell to it though it tastes a bit burnt. :biglaugh:


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## Breakaway500 (May 7, 2010)

Yea,I'd say it was too much. The microwave is NOT going to turn a piece of coal into a diamond. 
I use this for drying out sticks that won't smoke well otherwise. If it feels like a mozzerella stick, chances are the microwave will help. If it feels like a pretzel already,don't nuke it. I have been popping some in for 15 seconds and seeing how much moisture comes out.If there is a cloud of steam,I'll put it back in for another 20 seconds and retest. Once the vapor cloud is not visible,I'll do a draw test and see how it tastes. let the stick cool down first,or you may draw hot vapor..not good.

Some sticks show no moisture in 15 seconds. These always smoke well.They won't be magically transformed into your favorite cigar,but they won't taste like a bucket of Mr.Clean either.


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## MoreBeer (Feb 13, 2010)

I often thought of trying this to help quickly dry out wet cigars but never did. Now I've got to give it a shot! Got a box of 5 Vegas Cask's that really taste sickening that initially arrived from CI super wet. A month in the cooler hasn't helped these much (yet).

Think I'll nuke a few tomorrow and see what happens. Why not???????


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## Breakaway500 (May 7, 2010)

Funny you should mention the 5 Vegas Cask strengths.These have shown great improvement in the cooker. Be prepared for a big cloud of steam! I start with 30 seconds,a cooling rest of a minute,followed by another 30 seconds.Allow to cool 3-4 minutes and check to make sure it's not still mushy. Even after cooking,I don't care for the last 1/2 of the cask strength variety of the 5 Vegas line.It just develops into too bitter a stick for me.First 1/2 is Ok after cooking,though.


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## thrasher64 (Jun 4, 2009)

The El Major Espresso turned out to be pretty good after a purge about 1/2" in. (never seen so much purge flame so early in a stick) 

Very toasty, very cocoa'y, no bad flavors other than a slight charcoal in the background.

Next time I'll try it for 15-20 seconds and see if I can find a happy medium between charred and nasty.


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## Breakaway500 (May 7, 2010)

I like the toasty flavor in a cigar,so if a stick doesn't fulfill on the flavor end,even though it is dried thoroughly,I will tend to overcook it a bit. Flavor enhancing..another aspect of the microwaving art. Glad it worked out for you!


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